Sander/Filing tool

[Paul S WI]

Greetings All

I am looking for advice on sanding tools. I am pretty much sold on purchasing a mop sander. Am also considering a tool for cleaning up/filing fret work. Sometimes need to take off a little material for a proper fit and hand filing with a small rasps can become quite tedious (not to mention time consuming). Was looking through some past issues of CWC and found a tool called the Electro file.
Does anyone use this tool? If so, what are your thoughts on the usefullness of it? Is it worth the cost? More importantly does it do the job?
Any other suggestions!!??

Paul S WI

[Frumper64]

Fretwork sanding

I have been using a set of small files I got from Sloan's Woodshop (at least that's where I think I got them). They get the job done, but you're right - it can get a bit tedious

[urband]

I looked at the Electro File at a scroll saw picnic. In my opinion it probably does what it advertises, but it seems awfully overpriced. Unless you do production work and are working against the clock I would get a good set of small files and do your cleanup by hand.

Dan

[BobD (Archive)]

I use my Dremel with a small diamond, pointed diamond bit for most of these little cleanups. The diamond bits are aggressive enough that I'm not working on it all day, but still give you a smooth surface. And they clean up easy; I keep an old film canister full of oven cleaner; when a bit gums up, i leave it in the oven cleaner overnight and it's clean in the morning!

Bob

[Neal Moore]

Oven cleaner

Great tip Bobcat!!! I've got about a dozen diamond tipped grinding bits that I need to clean up. I'll try that!!

[BobD (Archive)]

And a propane torch is great to clean up your carbide bits (kutzall, Typhoon, etc.) The torch doesn't get hot enough to damage the bits, but it cleans away the wood gunk very quickly!
Bob

[CanadianScroller]

Oven cleaner is awesome for cleaning pitch and varnish build up from tool bits.
I honestly do not do much sanding on my fretwork.
I use reverse blades and sometimes use backer boards.
I also sand the wood before I start, it not only produces a cleaner cut it makes the pattern easier to put on or take off.

[lucky788scroller]

For sanding inside of tight areas, I have a ziplock full of fingernail files. I get them free during the county fair season from all the politician booths. See, the politicians ARE good for something! I havent really needed to sand any area too small for a fingernail file. Dale

[SharonW0111]

Welllllll Doggy!!!!! Bob you just told me something I didn't know on bit tips.
I just bought me a box of assorted diamond -- okay 3 boxes - and I really do like them.But I didnt know how to clean them ...now how do you clean the stones,, my son got something on one and I want it off.
Now as far as the answer to the question-- On another pattern membership board someone asked the same question--and got a lot of save your money answers..
I saw that file and wanted one also but it is to steep for me...but I found these diamond bits at harbor freight for a song and got me a few -- they are super for wood and I know sandpaper doest last long
I made a sander for my old scroll saw by covering a heavy pinned blade with emory cloth.. worked good but didn't last long enough to warrant the time it took to make...I am guess the file would be about the same.
Sharon

[BobD (Archive)]

Sharon,
The best way to get stuff off the stones is to "Dress" them. If you have a diamond hone (the one used to remove the burr from the back of your scroll saw blade) just run them against the hone at low speed. If you don't have a hone, run them against a cinderblock at low speed--basically you want to wear away the clogged parts.

One of the advantages to the stones (in addition to them being finer than the diamond grits) is that you can shape them to a certian degree to get the exact shape you want. Just use caution because if you heat them up too much, the adhesive that bonds the stone to the shaft will fail!

Those stones are great for etching glass, by the way!

Bob

[SharonW0111]

Cool Beans Bob- I have a couple of each size stones and I just hate to throw one away just cause it has something stuck to it..you so smart you deserve a cookie.... ice cream is for Carl so I'll give you cookies.
Sharon

[Mick Walker]

Paul S WI, I have the Electro file and never use it, I do use the nice assortment of small files that came with it. Just use them by hand. Very expensive set of files when purchased with the whole unit. You can purchase just the files. Mick.

[Paul S WI]

Mick, thanks for the info. I just may forget that idea for now and stick with hand filing.

Paul S

[sheltiecarver]

Paul,
If you have access to a Harbor Freight store, they have a pretty nice set of tiny files, - I think they call them "riffler files" - when on sale they are about 2 or 3 $, also they have a fairly nice set of small profile diamond files - you will find them near the other ones - visually check the package to see that you get a variety os shapes - somehow some of the packages contain only 2 or 3 profiles - they are pretty good too. I think a set of about 10 is 10 or 11$.
And don't overlook the usefullness of ordinary emery files - from the cheapest source you can find - like a dollar store or Walmart. They can be trimmed to a useful width, there are 2 grit sizes on each one (usually) and they are CHEAP. (not yelling - Emphasizing!)
Sandy